Isle of Wight Invasion!

Wendy safely arrived on our doorstep late last night and we couldn't be happier.  She hasn't even been here twenty four hours and we already have the beginnings of an English Christmas Cake and a Christmas Pudding.  Oh yum!

Wendy informed me that a neighbor of her's indicated that on the Christmas Pudding gin burns better than brandy.  Fine by me, we have plenty of gin and I like food that puts off flame. 

Now of course being grateful for Wendy's safe arrival, I am even more excited to know that my urgent message, which I dispatched with Bob, arrived intact. 

...To Wendy, stop.  Bring Goddards beer, stop.  At least two bottles, stop.

Wendy showed up with no less than three bottles of Goddards beer!

Goddards is, as the label reads, "born and brewed" on the Isle of Wight.  In fact, the brewery is only a short walk from Bob & Wendy's.  I have had the pleasure of enjoying their fine beers many times over our trips to IOW and jump at the chance to enjoy their brews stateside.  For a really interesting look at their brew operation, check out this video on their website.

Tonight, I savored their Duck's Folly.  It's a classic English Ale with a delightful mouth feel.  It literally slides right down the palate.  The beer is not pasteurized, and tastes such.  The origin of the name is quite funny, as described on their site:

It's becoming something of a distant memory now, but back in the late 1980's and early 1990's Lloyd's (the insurance market) managed to stuff (financially, that is) about 20,000 people. The amount of 'stuffing' varied from a few tens of thousands of pounds up to seven figures and well beyond. Anthony Goddard was in the latter group, but took the view that it was a self-inflicted wound, that nobody else was going to feel sorry for him or bale him out, so it was better to kick on and start again.
Another Lloyd's underwriter based in Australia, took a similar view. Having owned half of Queensland (or whatever) he had to sell up and move to a smaller bungalow, which he named "Duck's Folly" - this being an anagram of "F*ck Lloyd's". Not being quick-witted enough to come up with this himself, when he read about it Anthony's reaction was to think it was a wonderful name for a beer...

I have already told Zoë that it is an absolute shame we have yet to visit Goddards.  On our next trip, this will be a high priority.